Yakshini

Description of Yakshini in Meghadutam Part II

1. Introduction

In Kalidasa’s Meghadutam, the Yakshini is the beloved wife of Yaksha, who has been exiled by Kubera, the God of Wealth. She lives alone in their home in Alaka while her husband remains far away. Yaksha asks the cloud to visit her and convey his message of love and hope. Through his description of her beauty, loneliness, and suffering, Kalidasa presents the Yakshini as a symbol of faithful love and the pain of separation.

2. Physical Beauty

The Yakshini is exceptionally beautiful. Yaksha describes her delicate features by comparing them with flowers, fruits, and animals. He says:

“Her lips as red as ripe bimba fruit, a slender waist with a deep navel, and eyes like a timid doe.”

Her teeth are as beautiful as jasmine, her lips are red like ripe bimba fruit, and her eyes resemble those of a frightened deer. Her graceful figure represents the traditional ideal of feminine beauty in Sanskrit poetry. Yaksha believes that she is a perfect example of nature’s finest creation.

3. Gentle Nature and Loving Personality

The Yakshini is gentle, affectionate, and soft-spoken. Yaksha calls her his second life, showing how deeply he loves her. He says:

“You will know her to be my second life, gentle and measured in speech.”

She is not merely beautiful but also emotionally devoted to her husband. Her love is sincere and enduring, and she remains faithful to him during their separation.

4. Loneliness and Suffering

The Yakshini suffers greatly because her husband is away. Yaksha compares her loneliness to that of a cakravaka bird separated from its companion:

“All alone while I’m away, like a cakravaka bird without her companion.”

She spends her days remembering her husband and waiting for his return. Her eyes become swollen from crying, her lips lose their natural colour, and her face is hidden by her long hair. Yaksha fears that her beauty may have faded because of prolonged sorrow, just as a lotus suffers under winter frost.

5. Her Activities During Separation

The Yakshini tries to overcome her loneliness through various activities. Sometimes she offers prayers to the gods; at other times, she paints a picture of her absent husband. She also speaks to their pet sarika bird, asking whether it still remembers Yaksha.

She tries to sing songs in his memory while playing the veena, but her tears fall on the strings, and she repeatedly forgets the words and melody. Sometimes she arranges flowers near the doorway, counting them as days of separation. These activities reveal that her thoughts remain constantly fixed on her beloved husband.

6. Sleepless Nights and Deep Grief

The Yakshini suffers most during the night, when silence increases her loneliness. Yaksha imagines her lying on one side of their lonely bed:

“Like the very last sliver of the waning moon.”

The comparison suggests that she has become weak and exhausted because of sorrow. She cannot sleep peacefully and spends the night shedding tears. Her loneliness makes time seem painfully long, and memories of her husband intensify her suffering.

7. Neglect of Personal Appearance

The Yakshini no longer takes pleasure in decorating herself. She has stopped wearing flowers in her hair, and her single braid has become rough and dry. She has also removed her ornaments one by one.

Yaksha explains that she abandoned her usual decorations on the first day of their separation and continues to wait for the day when he will return and untie her braid. Her neglected appearance reflects the depth of her grief and her determination to remain emotionally faithful to her absent husband.

8. Hope for Reunion

Although the Yakshini suffers intensely, her love for Yaksha remains strong. Yaksha believes that she continues to remember him and hopes for their reunion. He asks the cloud to approach her gently and awaken her with a cool breeze carrying raindrops.

He says:

“Wake her with a cool breeze that carries your raindrops and she will breathe new life, As if she were a freshly opened bud of white jasmine.”

The image of the newly opened jasmine bud suggests the revival of hope and happiness. The cloud’s arrival will bring her a message from her husband and offer comfort during her painful separation.

Conclusion

The Yakshini is one of the most touching characters in Meghadutam. She is beautiful, gentle, loving, and completely devoted to her husband. Her tears, sleepless nights, neglected appearance, and constant memories express the suffering caused by separation. Through her character, Kalidasa presents the theme of viraha (the pain of separation in love) with great emotional depth. The Yakshini represents the power of faithful love, patience, and hope for reunion.